The Jamaican Flag (+ Other Green, Gold, and Black Flags)

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Learn the history & meaning of the green-yellow-black Jamaican flag
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Wondering what country that green, yellow, and black flag you spotted comes from? Well, you’re in luck! If you’re searching for a green, gold, and black flag, it’s likely the flag of Jamaica—but we’ll tell you all about the design, its meaning, and where it comes from below . Not what you’re looking for? Check out our explainers on other countries with green, yellow, and black flags that also include additional colors, as well as lesser-known, non-national green-yellow-black flags .

Which country’s flag is green, gold, and black?

Jamaica is the only country with a green, gold (yellow), and black flag. The national flag of Jamaica features a yellow diagonal cross over fields of green (top and bottom) and black (left and right). Other countries whose flags include green, yellow, and black include Mozambique, Ghana, and South Africa.

Section 1 of 3:

Which country has a green, yellow, and black flag?

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  1. Jamaica is the only country with an exclusively green, yellow, and black flag. The Jamaican flag has a yellow saltire (a diagonal cross or “X” shape) that stretches across the entire design. The top and bottom triangles created by the saltire are green, while the left and right triangles are black. Before the first Jamaican Independence Day on August 6th, 1962, a committee agreed to create a black, yellow, and green flag to represent the newly-freed nation. The saltire (cross) was chosen solely to distinguish the design from other striped flags, so it has no symbolic meaning. [1]
    • What do the Jamaican flag colors symbolize? The green symbolizes agriculture and hope, the yellow symbolizes the country’s natural wealth and beautiful sunshine, and the black represents the challenges faced by the nation and its people.
      • The flag’s meaning is summed up with the quote, “Hardships there are, but the land is green and the sun shineth.”
    • Who designed the current Jamaican flag? The Jamaican flag (1962 – present) was designed by a legislative committee within the Jamaican House of Representatives. Initially, there was a national design competition, but the judges didn’t like any of the entries enough to select a winner.
    • Fun Fact! Jamaica’s flag is the only national flag in the world not to contain ANY red, white, or blue.
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Section 2 of 3:

Other Country Flags That Include Green, Yellow, & Black

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  1. Countries like Mozambique and Ghana have green-yellow-black flags with additional colors. While Jamaica is the only recognized country with a green-yellow-black color scheme, some other countries incorporate these colors, along with additional colors, in their design. Here’s a list of countries that include green, yellow, and black in their national flags:
    • 🇲🇿Mozambique: This flag has three horizontal stripes in green, black, and yellow with thin white stripes between each one. On the left side, there’s a red triangle containing an emblem with a yellow star, an AK-47, a hoe, and an open book. [2]
    • 🇸🇹São Tomé and Príncipe: This flag has two horizontal bands of green with a yellow stripe in between. There are two black stars within the yellow stripe, and a red isosceles triangle on the left side of the design.
    • 🇬🇭Ghana: This flag has three horizontal stripes in red, yellow, and green. There’s a large black star in the center of the flag (within the yellow stripe). [3]
    • 🇩🇲Dominica: This flag has a green background with a yellow, black, and white triple-colored cross. In the center of the cross and flag, there’s a red circle with a purple Sisserou parrot inside it. Ten green stars encircle the central red disc.
    • 🇬🇾Guyana: This flag has a green background with two overlapping triangles starting on the left side and pointing toward the right side of the flag. The largest triangle is yellow with a white border, and the smaller one is red with a black border. [4]
    • 🇸🇸South Sudan: This flag has a horizontal tricolor design with stripes of black, red, and green separated by thin white stripes. There’s a blue triangle on the left side of the flag with a yellow star within it.
    • 🇻🇺Vanuatu: This flag has two horizontal stripes of red (on the top) and green (on the bottom), and a black triangle on the leftmost side. The stripes and the triangle are all separated by a horizontal and yellow Y-shaped line. Inside the triangle, there’s a yellow boar’s tusk and two fronds of the namele fern.
    • 🇹🇿Tanzania: This flag has a diagonal black stripe running from the top-right to the bottom-left corner. The top section of the flag is green and the bottom section is blue. Two thin yellow lines border the diagonal black stripe.
    • 🇿🇦South Africa: This flag has a horizontal “Y” shape that’s green with white and yellow borders. The leftmost field formed by the “Y” is black, while the top and bottom sections are red and blue, respectively.
    • 🇬🇼Guinea-Bissau: This flag has a vertical red band on the left side with a black star in its center. On the right side of the flag, there are two horizontal bands of yellow (top) and green (bottom).
    • 🇿🇼Zimbabwe: This flag has seven horizontal stripes—from top to bottom, they are green, yellow, red, black, red, yellow, and green. There’s a white triangle with a black border on the left side of the flag. In the center of the triangle, there’s a red star overlaid by an emblem of the Zimbabwe Bird.
    • 🇰🇳Saint Kitts and Nevis: This flag has a diagonal black strip from the top-right to the bottom-left corner. This stripe is bordered with thin yellow lines and contains two white stars within it. The top field is green and the bottom field is red.
Section 3 of 3:

Regional and Cultural Flags That Include Green, Yellow, & Black

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  1. Other green, yellow, and black flags are used by states, regions, or cultures. Jamaica is the only national flag to use only green, gold, and black. However, smaller regions, provinces, states, and other communities use this color palette in their designs, but their flags are less prominent and less well-known. Here are some examples of flags that currently exist or have existed in the past with green, yellow, and black color schemes:
    • Bagadó, Colombia (current)
    • Santa Rosa de Aguán, Honduras (current)
    • Blokker, Netherlands (current)
    • Janov, Czech Republic (current)
    • Hoisdorf, Germany (current)
    • Cobos de Cerrato, Spain (current)
    • Washington County, Alabama (current)
    • Sultanate of Siak Sri Indrapura (1772-1949)
    • Tanganyika (1961-1964)
    • Republic of Benin (1967)
    • Jefferson (proposed U.S. state) [5]
    • The Gadsden Flag (“Don’t Tread on Me”) [6]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://nlj.gov.jm/story-jamaican-national-flag/
      2. ↑ https://2021-2025.state.gov/countries-areas/mozambique/mz-lgflag/
      3. ↑ https://www.ghanamissionun.org/ghana-flag/
      4. ↑ https://2021-2025.state.gov/countries-areas/guyana/guyana-flag/
      5. ↑ https://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/us-jeff.html
      6. ↑ https://www.chamberofcommerce.org/usflag/history/gadsden.html

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